One of the steps involved in servicing a producing oil well is to use a sand bailer to remove silt, sand and other contaminants which accumulates within the wellbore. A sand bailer has a rigid tubular body with a one way valve at one end. The tubular body is dropped or driven into accumulated sand in the wellbore. Sand pushes the one way valve open and passes into the tubular body. When the sand bailer is raised, the one way valve closes trapping the sand within the sand bailer. Suction is used to draw sand out the sand bailer, and the process of dropping or driving the sand bailer into accumulated sand is repeated. Frequently, the sand bailer becomes totally clogged with contaminants. In order to remove the contaminants the servicing crew generally suspends the contaminated pipe by a cable and then bags the tubular body of the sand bailer with hammers to dislodge the contaminants. This method of dislodging of contaminants, which has been in common usage for many years, is time consuming and labour intensive. It also shortens the useful life of the sand bailer.